Gas producer



Feb. 23, 1932. D ouus 1,846,334

was rnooucmn 'Filed Feb. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet gmmtoc 1041/) D flay/U :ZMLTI a a u u u A I 4- llrlll Feb. 23, 1932. o. HOULIS (ms rnonu cma Filed Feb. 28. 19:50

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.

UN I S TAT ES PATENT OFFICE zGAS PRODUCER Application .flled .Iebmary 28, 1930. Serial No. 432,052.

This invention relates to new and useful in'iprorements in producers.

ne object of th invention tt'rprovide impmvcrl u'ieaus of rarluireringthe fluids, whereby gas is more economically and ellicieutly produced and an adequate supply is maintained.

A further object oi the invention isto pro du e. gas by admixing a raw hydrocarbon liquid with air under pressure and in transit and at the same time cause the air to absorb hydrocarlmns r olat le constituents from the ri uuluctor through which it is being carried. thus aniline: a more m)iulnistihlegas.

Another milieu-t is to provide an improved gas produce: rich will be positivein its action. automatic in its operation and simple in construction.

A construction designedto carry out the invention w ll lie hereinafter described to: gether with other features of the invention. The invcn mn \villl' e more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawingin which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a. producer constriicted in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a view of the same partly in elevation and partly in section,

Figure 3 is a detail of the air manifold,

Flgure 4 is :1V detail of the carbureting tube, and

Figure 5 is a detail of the automatic gas safety valve.

In the drawings the numeral 10' designate a double walled cylindrical tank having an annular water jacket 11 and a carbureting chamber or reservoir '12. A movable bell 13 telescopes into the jacket and has its lower end immersed, whereby a water seal is bad and the usual. gasometer is produced.

The tank may bepartially embedded in the ground or otherwise mounted. -An arched frame 14 is mounted on the tank and the bell 13 rises and falls withinthis frame. Aflexible conncctioirlti having'one end attached to the bell passes over pulleys 16- on the frame and carries a pendant weight 17 on its opposite end. The weight may be regulated so as to compensate the gas pressure within the gasometcr in the usual manner.

W'ithin the chanil'ier 12 is mounted a carburetor 18 which includes a spool 19 mounted in the upper portion of the chamber on an annular ring 20 secured to the inner wall of said chan'iber. The spool has legs 21 resting on said ring and is also provided with a central vertical column or flue 22.

A fiexibk tube 23 iscoiled in horizontal layers around the column on the spool, said layers being alternately woundinward and outward or otherwise, so as to give a long tortuous passage. The tube is continuous or from one end to the other and while made of absorbent material, such as fabric,it is impel-vi ous to an. As 15 shown in Figure 4, the

'tube has a helical wire liner 2 which not only shape and prevents flatten- (0 holds the tube in ing, but causes the fluids passing through the tube to whirl and thus lengthen their travel.

A compressed air supply pipe 25 enters the bottom of the tank and extends vertically through the chamber 12 and column 22. The

pipe is connected to a nozzle 26 at its upper end and the nozzle is inserted in one end of thetube 23. A fuel supply pipe 27 extending into the tank contiguously to the air pipe has its upper end terminating in the nozzle 26. A gas riser 28 extends down through the column and the chamber and is connected to a as discharge pipe 29. A fuel drain pipe 30 a so leads from the bottom of the chamber 12.

A quantity of hydrocarbon oil such as gasoline is stored in the chamber 12 below the carburetor. The drain pipe 30 connects with a fuel pump 31 and forms an intake therefor, while the fuel sup 1y pipe 27 also connects with said pump. with an air pump 32and both pumps are driven by an electric motor 33.

An air manifold 34 connects with the air pump 32. The manifold is T-shaped having one leg connected to the right leg it has a butterfly valve 35 provided with a Iever36. and an indicating quadrant 37; while in its horizontal leg it has a butterfly valve 38 provided with a lever 39 and an indicating quadrant 40. In the upright leg 100 e air pipe 25 connects pump. In its up- 96 pressure and this pipe discharges it through.

- the nozzle 26 into the tubeilil. The pump 31 sets up a circulation of fuel liquid from the chamber 12 through the pipe 30 and dis-' charges said liquid into the pipe 27 which conducts itto the nozzle 26.

Air and fuel liquid are thus forced into the upper end of the coiled tube 23. As this raw 7 fuel flows down through the tube the latteris saturated and the'air is thus caused to absorb volatile constituents or hydrocarbons as it passes along the wet inner walls of said tube. The air is also admixed with the raw liquid and thereby a most efficient carb'uration takes place. The long travel induced by the helical liner 24 assures the discharge of a highly combustible gas from the lower end of the tube. The emitted gas flows out under the spool 18 and passes upward through the column 22 and along the outside of the spool. By contact with the outer convolutions of the tube still further hydrocarbons are absorbed. The gas collects in the bell 13 and is compressed therein due to the downward pressure of the bell and the pressure built up by the pumps. The liquid fuel which escapes from the tube falls into the chamber 12 is again circulated by the pump 31. The gas compressed in the bell 13 is thus. placed under pressure and escapes through the riser 2S and pipe 29 from which it is supplied to service. The manifold 84 is connected in the pipe 29 and normally the valve 38'isclosed, but by opening said valve and partially or wholly closing the valve 35 the gas from the pipe 29 is wholly or partially recirculated and again carbureted by the pump 32 and carburetor 18. The motor 33 drives the pumps and when the gasometer becomes full of gas and the bell rises to its limit, it is desirable to stop thegas producing operation. An electric switch 42 is connected in the electric circuit AB of the motor. This switch has an arm 43 pivoted to a stud 44 on a vertical shifting link 45. The link is pivoted at its ends to the outer ends of levers 46 which are pivoted on the frame 14.

The inner ends of the levers the path of a finger 47 on the top of the bell.

When the bell falls to its lower limit because of the depletion of gas the finger engages the lower lever 46 and swings it to the position shown in Figure 1, whereby the link 45 is moved upwardly and the switch arm 43 is likewise swung to close the switch. This starts the motor 33 and the pumps 31and 32,

thus putting the producer in operation.

Should the electric power fail or for any reason the lever 46 or switch 42 fail to operproject into ate when the bell falls, I provide a safety cutoff valve 48 (Figure 5) in the gas ipe 29. This valve has an arm 49 connecte to the bottom of a link 50 which has its upper end pivoted to a tripping lever 51. The lever is pivoted at 52 and has a depending lug 54 engaging the upper end of a coiled spring 55 resting on a support 56. The spring is under compression so that when the lever is swung and the lug thrown out of line, said spring will expand, thus further actuating the lever and holding it in the position to which it is the upward movement of the bell.

Various changes in the size and shape of the ditferent parts, as Well as modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is:

1. In a gas producer, a gasometer, a carburetor in the gasometer, means for supplying air and hydrocarbon liquid to the carburetor, the carburetor including an absorbent tortuous conductor into which the air and liquid are discharged, whereby the air and liquid are mixed, also whereby the air absorbs hydrocarbons from the conductor, means for conducting gas from the gasometer, and means for recirculating the discharged gas through the conductor.

2. In a gas producer, a gasometer including a bell, a carburetor within the gasometer, means for supplying air and hydrocarbon liquid to the carburetor, a gas pipe extending from the carburetor and gasometer, a norinall'y open safety "valve in the gas pipei means for operating the valve to close it, an

means on the bell of the gasometer for actuating said valve closing meanswhen said bell reaches its lowermost position.

3. In a gas producer, a gasometer, a carburetor in the gasomter including an absorbent conductor, a chamber in the gasometer below the carburetor for containing liquid fuel, and a pump connected with the chamber and also connected with the conductor for circulating the fuel liquid thereof.

4. As a sub-combination in a gas producer, a carbureting spool comprising a central column and a continuous absorbent tube coiled about the column in superposed layers, and each layer including a plurality of convolutions of said tube. whereby an elongated tortuous passage is provided.

5. In a gas producer, a double walled tank fuel, the carburetor including a coile absorbent tube having its entrance at the upper end of the carburetor and its discharge at the lower end, an air pipe extending to the carburetor and connected with the tube, an air pump connected with the air pipe, 8. fuel pump connected with the chamber, a fuel supply pipe leading from the fuel ump and connected with the intake end of t e tube, a gas discharge pipe leading from the carburetor, and a bypass extending from the gas discharge pipe to the air ump.

6. The combination set orth in claim 5, with means for regulating and controlling the supply of air and gas to the air pump.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LOUIS D. HOULIS. 

